


He Holds Her Close

by takemetofantasyland



Category: Anastasia - Flaherty/Ahrens/McNally
Genre: F/M, Post-Canon, mentions of trauma post musical
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-05
Updated: 2018-11-05
Packaged: 2019-08-19 03:34:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16526552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/takemetofantasyland/pseuds/takemetofantasyland
Summary: Dmitry knew all of Anya's nightmares, or so he thought. When a new nightmare emerges, he helps her and holds her, and they work through it together.





	He Holds Her Close

By now he was somewhat used to her small yelps and mumbles in the middle of the night. He still woke, they still frightened him, but he was getting used to calming her gasps and wiping her tears while holding her close in the night. 

By now, he knew each type of nightmare that caused her to stir restlessly in the night. He could tell from her cries, from her tears and from her constant stirring what was terrorizing her as she slept. 

But as of late a new type of nightmare had emerged. It worried him that he couldn’t tell what was causing her pain. Anya would yelp and sob in her sleep, and he would start awake in fear she was physically hurt.

It wasn’t the nightmare she had of her family, those involved more movement, as if she was trying to get away. It wasn’t a nightmare she had of Gleb, those involved her mumbling in her sleep. 

He knew, after everything she had been through, the trauma would linger with her the longest. He cringed at the thought, though he knew it most likely, her nightmares would never fully disappear. He did his best to help her, to calm her, to hold her. If it meant holding her a little tighter at night for the rest of his life he would do it. 

Her uncontrollable sobbing in the night woke him. She was curled into a small ball in the large bed of an apartment that still seemed so foreign to him. In the night they had drifted apart, and Anya had crunched into a ball on the edge of the bed. Her soft skin was exposed to the chill of the night, as blankets bundled at her feet.

He rolled over and gently touched her arm, carefully bringing her closer to him. He pressed his nose into her messy hair as he held her, and pulled the blankets back over her. She rolled over, groggily, and her eyes slowly opened. 

He wiped her tears from her cheeks, and pressed a kiss to her forehead. 

“Did I wake you?” she whispered. 

“I heard you sobbing,” he replied as he stroked her cheek.

“Dima,” Anya said quietly. 

“You’re okay, everything is okay,” He said softly as he ran his fingers through her hair.

She nodded and pressed her nose to his chest, and he held her until her chest rose and fell slowly against his own, and she had fallen back to sleep. 

He held her close, and gently held his arm across her waist as he drifted back to sleep himself. She pressed her back into his chest as if to make sure he was still there. And he was. 

He laced his fingers through hers to reassure her, he was there by her side.

* * *

 

As they walked along the streets of Paris in daylight, he noticed Anya seemed nervous. Her grip on his arm was strong, and she never wandered too far from him, even when something new caught her eye. It had been a subtle shift in her behavior, but he had noticed the shift almost immediately. 

After living in Paris for several months, Dmitry had expected her to ease into her new lifestyle. He knew her whole life had changed at once, being reunited with family she couldn’t remember would be a significant change on its own. To go from sleeping on damp floors to sleeping in one of the finest apartments in Paris was a definite lifestyle change. 

As time had passed, she had grown nervous, and she was quiet as they walked in the city. 

He supposed maybe the memory of Gleb aiming a gun at her was still fresh in her mind. He’d had his fair share of scrapes, and he knew she had definitely had hers. 

He knew she was strong, and had fought through everything her life had thrown at her. 

But still she was quiet, more so than she ever had been. She held him close and her lips were tight and he wondered where something had changed. He recalled when they had first met; she could barely keep her mouth shut long enough for him to actually train her to meet the Dowager. 

Over the past few months she had grown solemn.

* * *

 

As she stood in her nightdress, brushing her hair in the mirror, he watched her from the bed. She was focused on brushing the knots of the day out, but her eyes flickered to him in the reflection every now and then. 

He was intent on keeping her feeling safe as she worked through her troubles in their new life. 

Anya placed her hairbrush on the dressing table and came to bed. She crawled in beside him and kissed his cheek. He smiled as he turned and kissed her.

He snuggled down into the bed with her, his arm around her as she stared at the ceiling. She played with his fingers in the dark room, waiting for exhaustion to finally pull her to sleep. 

Dmitry was ready for whichever nightmare might resurface tonight. He loved her so much, he wished he could take her nightmares as his own. 

Her breathing slowed, her head on his chest, as she slipped into a slumber. He ran his fingers through her hair, hoping tonight would be peaceful, but knowing probably wouldn’t be. 

He held her close as he slowly fell asleep, bringing her close to keep her safe. 

Stirring and sobbing woke him hours later. He was never a heavy sleeper, but the past few months he woke at the slightest of sounds.

Anya was curled up on her side of the bed, the blankets balled up in her fists as she sobbed.

“Anya,” he whispered. 

She pulled the blankets closer and sobbed. 

“Anya,” he touched her arm and gently pulled the blankets from her grip. She fought back and curled up as small as she could.

He gently held her waist and pulled her closer. 

She rolled over and slowly woke face to face with him.

“Dmitry,” 

“It was just a dream,” he said softly as he gently stroked her cheek. 

“I’m sorry,” she sobbed. 

“Anya, don’t cry, it’s okay!” he pulled her hands away. 

She buried her face into his chest and he brushed his fingers through her hair.

“It’s not your fault,” he said softly. He held her head to his chest.

This nightmare he was not so familiar with, and wasn’t quite sure how exactly to comfort her.

“I’m sorry,” she repeated, sobbing into his chest.

“Tell me what’s going on,”

Anya’s chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath as she looked at him with glassy eyes. He bit his lip to keep himself steady while he watched her look of pain and grief. 

He wiped her tears away as she stared at him.

“You left,” she said solemnly.

Dmitry brushed stray hairs out of her face, “I don’t understand.” 

“I keep having this dream over and over that I wake up and you’re gone. Gone, gone,” Anya replied. 

Dmitry felt a weight in his chest. He pulled her close to his chest and held her. 

She tilted her head up to look at him. His hand rounded her cheek, and he kissed her. “I’m not going anywhere,” he breathed against her lips. 

Anya nodded through her tears. 

He kissed her again and she wrapped her arms around him. 

“Anya, I promise I’m not going anywhere.” 

She nodded, her quick, short breaths turning long and slow.

“I just need you to know that,” Dmitry said softly.

She was quiet. Her ear pressed against his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

“It’s just sometimes… after everything I've lost, I’m afraid I’ll lose you too.” She said softly.

“I’m not going anywhere, Anya. I will be here as long as you want me here.” 

She nodded as she gently ran her fingers through his hair. 

“I love you so much, I just want you to feel safe,” he breathed. 

She pulled herself closer to him. He pressed a kiss on top of her head. 

“You’re safe, I promise. I promise I’m not going anywhere.” He murmured into her hair. 

Anya wasn’t one to necessarily speak her feelings for him. He had learned this along the way, and it was completely fine, as he didn’t like to talk about his own feelings. But with these nightmares all he could do was hold her and tell her how he felt about her. 

Anya pressed her ear to Dmitry’s chest to listen. “I love you too,” She murmured. 

“Anya,”

She reached up to his jaw and pressed her lips to his.

Anya pulled back and nestled back into his chest. 

He held her as they lay awake. Anya carefully laced her fingers through his. He gently rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. 

“I don’t want you to go,” Anya said softly. 

“I’m here, I’m not leaving,” 

Anya kissed him again and he held her. She curled up next to him, and he was determined to keep her from drifting away from him.

She slowly fell back asleep in his arms.

“I’m not leaving,” he murmured after she had fallen back to sleep.

He kissed the top of her head and pulled her closer as he fell back asleep.


End file.
